The Stranded Mail Order Bride

By Cia Leah

Sondra Sue Moss arrived to marry Mack Morey only to find he was not the kind gentleman she supposed him to be.  When he grabbed her and her possessions and rode out of town past the church, she tried to make him stop.  He slapped her for her efforts and threw her out of his buggy, baggage and all, in a deserted area in the middle of a rain storm.  All alone, cold, wet, and miserable, she ran headlong into a cantankerous bull who followed her.  Terrified the beast would attack her, she scrambled up a hill and clung to a boulder to keep away from the animal, unsure of what would happen to her.

Cliff Dean searched all day and night for his bull, Broken, in a gully washer of a storm. When he heard an ear-splitting scream, that was loud enough to wake the dead, he spied Broken at the bottom of a hill with a woman's bloomers and dress hanging from the animal's horns.  Shocked to find a woman clinging to a rock, he got her down the hill and headed home, wondering what he was going to do with her.  To make matters worse she was sick and needed someone to care for her. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cia Leah
• Release date: Sep 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516315673

Cia Leah

Cia Leah is a multi-published author written in a variety of genres. Her favorite genre to read and write are westerns and historical romances. She successfully completed the Writer's Digest Short Story Course and a creative writing course. She is a member of Romance Divas and highly recommends it and the wealth of knowledge provided on the site for readers and writers. Semi-retired, she writes as time allows due to real life and thanks her readers for their support. At present time, she is writing western short stories, novelettes, and novellas.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Cliff Dean bent his head against the wind and pulled his hat low against the rain that fell in torrents.  He'd spent a heck of night trying to find his bull, Broken.  Broken was one ornery old bull and escaped his pen more times, than he could count.  He didn't want to find him dead out here in one of the gullies though.  No sir, he'd paid a handsome price for him and he was determined to keep him for breeding purposes.

Dawn was breaking, but there wouldn't be any sun today, just rain and more rain.  The wind whipped up a howl that sounded worse than some lost soul.  Dang it.  He hated being out with lightning zigzagging through the sky.  Thunder rumbled loud enough to wake the dead.

To make matters worse, his horse was skittish and he didn't know what was bothering him since he usually wasn't afraid of storms.  What's the matter, Dusty?  We've been out here like this plenty of times.  What's gotten you riled?  He leaned over the saddle horn and patted his neck.  Guess we've both had a horrible night out in this weather, but I got to find Broken.

He reined in, raised his hat, and stared ahead.  I don't see that critter anywhere.  He nudged his horse in the sides when he heard a blood-curdling scream.  What the heck was that?

Dusty reared up, and Cliff concentrated on controlling his mount when another scream sounded.  The inhumane cry was enough to give him goose bumps.  What the heck!  He couldn't discern where the sound was coming from.

Cliff nudged his horse ahead searching in both directions around him.  About thirty feet ahead of him, he saw his bull.  What the heck does he have wrapped around his horns and hanging over his head?  He kicked his horse in the sides, being careful to watch where he was going.  With the gullies filling up with rain, he didn't want his horse to break a leg in a hole he couldn't see.

Another scream ripped the air around him.  He reached for his rope, guided his horse with his legs, and lassoed the bull around the neck, wrapping the rope around his saddle horn.  The bull whipped his head back and forth.  Cliff nudged his horse over to a good-sized tree, dismounted, and tied the rope around the tree. 

Walking over to the bull, he talked to him, knowing Broken would settle down when he heard his voice.  Broken, what you go on your head?  He stepped up to him and tore the material away from the horns.  A woman's bloomers and dress?  He looked to the shale and stone hill and saw a woman holding onto a good-sized rock sticking out of the hill.  He strode over to the bottom.  What the heck are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere with my bull?

That beast of yours almost killed me!  I've had a horrible night trying to get that thing to leave me alone!

Come down here.  You need help?

I can't feel my legs and feet.  I've been holding on for deer life to keep away from that monster!

Cliff made his way up to her, reached around her slim waist, and scooped her against him.  I'll have you down in a second.  Hang onto my neck.  He slipped twice in the wet shale and rocks, but he made it to the bottom

Reviews for The Stranded Mail Order Bride

[ConniGarcia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great book